Switchboard cord bag



P 942. F. E. BABBITT 2,296,759

SWITCHBOARD CORD BAG Filed April 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 22, 1942 SWITCHBOARD CORD BAG Frederick Erwin Babbitt, Red Bank,

signor to The Genwilmar Company,

N. J., as-

Inc., Red

Bank, N. J a corporation of New Jersey Application April 5, 1941, Serial No. 387,085

2 Claims.

My invention relates to convenient and efficient means for enclosing the flexible cords and weights of a telephone switchboard to eliminate the rapid accumulation of dust on the telephone switchboard equipment due mainly to the lint and wood dust created by the action of the switchboard cords and weights.

In the operation of telephone switchboards the dust resulting from the foregoing causes is a fertile source of trouble in keys, relays, and indirectly of the wiring and other equipment associated within the switchboard because of the frequent cleaning of the wiring, equipment and the fittings required to keep the same reasonably free from the accumulations named.

In order to overcome the foregoing objectionable conditions I have discovered and devised a bag to enclose the switchboard cords without interfering with the normal operation or maintenance of the same, and which can be easily cleaned when necessary by the use of a vacuum cleaner without removing the bag from enclosing relation to the cords and weights. I have also devised arrangements in the said bag to eliminate the necessity for front and back bumper boards and which prevents the trouble experienced at some switchboards due to the cord weights hurdling the rear bumper. As further arranged the device described materially reduces the amount of noise incidental to the operation of the cords and weights.

Among the important objects and advantages of my invention are, therefore, the accomplishment of the foregoing benefits and efliciencies, and a consequent reduction in the time and expense of keeping the cords and weights and other associated components clean, amounting in some instances to as much as seventy-five percent.

The manner of accomplishment of these and other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the appended drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a general fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken through a switchboard and showing the device of the invention associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken through Figure 1 along the line 2-2 and looking downwardly in the direction of the arrows,

phone circuits Figure 3 is an enlarged front perspective view of the bag.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through Figure 3 along the line 4-4.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal sectional View taken along the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a top perspective view of the reinforcing plate for the bottom of the bag.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates a conventional type of switchboard including the cord shelf 6 mounted to the rear of the vertical panel I behind which the flexible cords 8 and the weights 9 are operatively suspended through openings in the cord shelf 6 and the table ill and prevented from passing below the table by the enlarged plugs l I. The cords 8 depend from the plugs to a point on a level with or below the lower end of the panel 1 with the pulley equipped weights 9 suspended slidably thereon, and with the remaining portions of the cords extending upwardly with their individual Wires I2 being separated at the cord shelf 6 for connection to the corresponding units of the tele- (not shown).

In accordance with the present invention the switchboard cord bag which is generally designated M is attachably mounted to the cord shelf 5 and the back of the panel I and to depend below the lowest positions of the weights 9 in such an arrangement that no interference is presented to the operation of the'weights or the cords 8 in any position thereof.

The bag I4 consists of a vertically and transversely elongated generally rectangular form made of such material as army duck or other similarly suitable material, comprising the similar vertically elongated ends l5 and Hi, the upper edges of which are provided with similar vertically projecting tabs l1 and I8 which are provided with eyes IS, the said tabs being located adjacent the front ends of the said upper edges. Similar tabs 20 and 2 I, respectively, similarly project on the rear ends of the upper edges of the sides and are similarly equipped with eyes 22, but the tabs 20 and 2| are located in extension of the upper ends of laterally inwardly turned flangelike portions 23 and 24 which extend downwardly as far as the point indicated by the numeral 2'5 in Figure 1 or slightly below an opening in the back 26 of the bag.

The front of the bag comprises a plain sheet of the army duck or other similar material which may be integral with or attached to the sides l5 and l 6, respectively, so as to be co-extensive with the front edges thereof as far as the points 28 and 29 which are spaced below the upper edges of the said sides, the upper edge portion of the front 21 being provided at opposite ends with eyes 36.

The back 26 of the said bag comprises a sheet similar to the front 21 and being attached to the rear edges of the sides I5 and I6 as far as the mentioned point 25, above which the bag is detached from the said sides and extends for a substantial distance above the tabs 26 and 2|,

the extension being hemmed as indicated by the numeral 3| at its upper edge; the sides should also be hemmed to point 25 same as hem 3|.

A conformably shaped plate 32 of pressed composition board or other material is placed in a pocket on the bottom 33 of the bag I4, so as to give and hold the shape to the bag.

The eyes 22 in the rear flanges 23 and 24 of the side panels of the bag have companion eyes 34 on the flap portion 35 of the back of the bag so that the same fasteners 36 may be used, by passing them through the registered eyes 22 and 34, to secure the upper end of the flanges 23 and 24 to the rear edge of the cord shelf 6 together with the flap 35 as indicated in Figure l, with the extended portion of the flap overlying the top of the cord shelf 6 as shown in Figure 1.

The tabs l1 and I8 are bent laterally inwardly into horizontal positions and secured to v the bottom of the forward part of the cord shelf 6 by suitable fasteners 31, while other fasteners 38 are passed through the eyes 30 at the upper edge of the front 21' to secure this portion of the bag to the upper end of the panel 1. By means of these arrangements the bag is suspended and fastened exactly in position by a minimum number of attachments.

To replace cords or weights when necessary and to clean out the accumulations in the bag without disturbing the cords or the weights or removing the bag, the flap 36 is undone and allowed to depend in the position illustrated in dotted lines in Figure 3 of the drawings, and a vacuum cleaner attachment applied to the opening to draw out the accumulation, after which the flap is placed again in the closed position illustrated.

As already indicated, this simplification of the removal of accumulation incidental to operation of the cords and weights, obviates frequent cleaning of other switchboard equipment and consequent wear and liability to damage and impairment of these parts, while greatly speeding up the cleaning operation. It will also be observed that the enclosure of the mechanism tated by the bag greatly silences their action, so as to measurably reduce the amount of noise produced in a telephone exchange due to operation of the cords and weights.

It will also be noted that the cost of manufacture and installation of the cord bags is relatively low so as to make feasible their general use with economy.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not wish to limit the application of my invention thereto, beyond the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. The combination with a telephone switchboard having a cord shelf, a front panel extending downwardly from the front edge of said cord shelf, and weight-equipped cords suspended from said shelf behind said panel, of a cord bag suspended from said shelf and panel and enclosing said cords, said bag having a rear wall formed in its upper portion with an access opening, and a closure flap for said opening folded over said shelf and detachably attached to the sides of said bag and to said shelf.

2. The combination with a telephone switchboard having a cord shelf, a front panel extending downwardly from the front edge of said cord shelf, and weight-equipped cords suspended from said shelf behind said panel, of a cord bag suspended from said shelf and panel and enclosing said cords, said bag having a rear wall formed in its upper portion with an access opening, and a closure flap for said opening folded over said shelf and detachably attached to the sides of said bag and to said shelf, and a plate fitting in the bottom of the bag to hold said bottom distended.

FREDERICK ERWIN BABBITT. 

